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(No Model.)

J. H. THORNHILL.

STEM WINDING AND SETTING WATCH.

No. 392,140. Patented Oct. 30, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT JOHN H. THOBNHILL, OF lVILKES-BARRE, PEXNSYLVrlN-lrr.

STEM NiNDlNG AND SETTiNG tVATCH SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,140, dated Octobe1'30,1888.

Application filed January 5,1888. Serial No. 259,843. (X model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. THORNHILL, a citizen of the United States, residing atlNilkes- Barr,county of Luzerne, and State ofPennsylvania,haveinvented anImprovementinVatch Movements, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part thereof.

My invention relates to that part of the mechanism of a watch movement which is employed to throw the setting or the winding mechanism into or out of gear with the winding pinion, winding bar, and winding crown. Its object is to provide devices by which the movements of the movable parts of said mechanism, in the operations just mentioned, are caused by springs; its further object is to provide mechanism in which a spring of major strength and a spring of minor strength act, or operate, in the same direction to throw the setting mechanism into gear with the winding pinion, and in which the minor spring, upon the retraction of the major spring by suitable devices, and by its contractile force, causes the setting gear to be thrown out of gear with the winding pinion and the winding gear to be thrown into gear therewith, and it consists as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a top plan view of part of a watch movement embodying my invention, the winding mechanism being shown in gear with the winding pinion, and of part of a containing case of usual construction. Fig. 2 isa plan view, partly in section, of the under side of the watch movement shown in Fig. '1. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal sectional plan view of part of the devices shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevational view, on the line a: y of Fig. 3, and Fi 5 is atop plan view of part of a watch movement embodying my invention, the setting mechanism being shown in gear with the winding pinion, and of part of a containing case of usual construction.

A is a main or bottom plate of a watch, of usual construction.

B is the winding wheel, and C the minute wheel.

D is a plate, or yoke, intermediately of its length pivotally mounted and supported upon a yoke stud or screw D. This yoke is, upon its under side, provided with a crown wheel E, with a setting wheel F, and with an inter mediate winding wheel G, said wheels being geared together.

The movement, and case,shown in the drawings, are provided with a winding bar K, a winding crown L, a friction sleeve N, and a winding pinion J, all of usual and well known construction. The winding pinion is geared with the crown wheel E, so that the setting wheel and intermediate winding wheel are, through the instrumcntalities of the crown wheel, the winding pinion and the winding bar, upon the revolution of the winding crown, caused to revolve.

The construction and arrangement of the yoke D is such that when the setting wheel is in gear with the setting mechanism the intermediate winding whcel is out of gear with the winding mechanism, and vice versa.

I is a setting spring, at one end, at E attached to the main or bottom plate. H is a yoke spring, at one end, at F pivotally attached to the yoke D. These springs, at their other ends, at l and H respectively, are pivotally attached to studs the upper ends of which extend through openings in the main or bottom plate, and the lower ends of which are mounted upon and connected with one arm of a setting and yokespring lever M which is fulcrumed or pivoted at that screw D of the bearing block A which lies farthest from the winding wheel B. The arm M of said lever is constructed and arranged to be acted upon, and operated by, the inner end of the adjustable stem upon the inward longitudinal movement or adjustment of the same. The Winding pinion J is, at its back or inner end, provided with an enlarged bore, and, at its outer end, with a hub J which is adapted to rest and revolve in a seat or bearing formed between the bottom plate A and the front winding pinion block A g is a longitudinally adjustable stem, the part 0 of which forms the outside pinion bearings of the winding pinion J, the part Q which is the intermediate pinion bearing, and the part P which is the inside pinion bearing, of said winding pinion. The enlarged portion Q, of the stem 9 is of a diameter equal to that of the larger bore of the pinion J, and it forms the hearing or support thereof; the

inside end P of said stem g is longitudinally adjustably mounted in a bearing in the back winding pinion bearing block B The hearing block A is secured to the bottom plate by screws D' D and the bearing block D is secured to the bottom plate by screws H H".

Such being the construction of a watch movement embodying my invention, its mode of operation is as follows: In the normal adjustment of the movement or in that adjustment thereof in which the winding pinion is in gear with the winding mechanism, the wind ing bar is forced in to the limit of its longitudinal inward movement, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This adjustment of the winding bar causes the inward movement of the stem 9", the consequentshifting of the setting and yoke spring lever M, the compression or retraction of the setting spring I, the movement of the yoke spring H in a direction away from the yoke, and the consequent movement of that end of the yoke to which the yoke spring H is attached in a direction the same as that of the movement of the yoke-spring stud, there- V upon the spring II shifts the yoke D and throws the intermediate winding wheel G into gear with the winding wheel D, in which positions of the parts named the winding crown is in gear with the winding mechanism. To throw the winding crown into gear with the setting mechanism the winding bar K is pulled outward to the extent of its longitudinal movement, whereupon, the stem offering no resistance to the lever M, the setting spring I is permitted to exert its force against, and to operate, the yoke D and shift the setting wheel F into gear with the minute wheel 0 in which positions of the parts named the setting sprung stud I of the lever M locks the yoke D in the position shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

My invention provides a watch movement in which the yoke or plate, employed to gear the winding pinion with the setting or with the winding mechanism, is operated in each direction by the action of a spring. It further provides mechanism in which the spring II, employed to shift the yoke and throw the winding pinion into gear with the winding mechanism, acts in the same direction as, and in concert with, the spring I employed to shift the yoke and throw the winding pinion into gear with the setting mechanism, with the result that springs of less size and strength than those which would otherwise have to be employed may be used, and the liability of their breakage be thereby, to a great extent, lessened. It also provides mechanism by which both the winding or setting devices, of the construction shown and described, may be thrown into or out of gear with the winding pinion by the longitudinal adjustment of the winding bar, as well as an advantageous bearing for the winding pinion.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In a watch movement, in combination with the winding gear and setting gear respectively, a plate or yoke pivotally mounted and supported intermediately of its length, and provided with gear wheels respectively adapted to be thrown at will into or out of gear with the winding gear or with the setting gear by the oscillatory adjustment of said yoke, a gear wheel mounted upon, and adapted to be revolved by the winding bar, a spring adapted to operate to shift the yoke and force one of its gear wheels intogear with the setting gear, and a spring adapted, upon the retraction of the first named spring, to operate to shift the yoke and force one of its gear wheels into gear with the winding gear, as specified.

2. In a watch movement, in combination with the winding gear and setting gear respectively, a plate or yoke pivotally mounted and supported intermediate of its length, and provided with gear wheels respectively adapted to be thrown at will, into or out of gear with the winding gear or with the setting gear,by the oscillatory adjustment of said yoke, a gear wheel mounted upon, and adapted to be revolved by the winding bar, a gear wheel in gear with the gear wheels of said yoke and attached to a lever mounted and fnlerumed upon the main or bottom plate, a spring attached to said bottom plate at one of its ends, and pivotally attached to one arm of said lever at its other end, and adapted to exert its force against, and to operate to shift, the yoke and force one of its gear wheels into gear with the setting gear, a spring having one end pivotally attached to the arm of thelever to which one of the ends of the first named spring is attached, and having its other end pivotally attached to the yoke, and alongitudinally movable or adjustable winding bar having its end, or an extension thereof, in contact with the other arm of said lever, as specified.

3. In a watch movement, in combination with the winding gear and setting gear respectively, a plate or yoke pivotally mounted and supported intermediate of its length, and provided with gear wheels respectively adapted to be thrown at will into or out of gear with the winding gear, or with the setting gear, by the oscillatory adjustment of said yoke, a gear wheel mounted upon and'adapted to be revolved by the winding bar, a gear wheel in gear with the gear wheels of said yoke and attached to a lever mounted and fulcrumed upon the main or bottom plate, a spring attached to said bottom plate, at one of its ends, and pivotally attached to one arm of said lever at its other end, a spring of inferior strength having one end pivotally attached to the arm of the lever to which one of the ends of the first named spring is attached, and arranged to exert its force in the same direction as that of the first named spring, and having its other end pivotally attached to the yoke, a longitudinally movable or adjustable winding bar having its end, or an extension thereof, in con tact with the other arm of said lever, the construction and arrangement of said parts being IIO such that the expansive force of the first named spring and the contractile force of the second named spring act together, to shift the yoke, and to force one of its gear wheels into gear with the setting gear, and also being such that the contractile force of the second named spring, upon the retraction of the first named spring by the movement of the arm orlever to which one of its ends is attached by the longitudinal movement of the winding bar, operates to shift the yoke and force one of its gear wheels into gear with the winding gear, as specified.

4. In a watch movement, in combination a plate or yoke, pivotally mounted and supported, intermediately of its length, and provided with gear wheels adapted to be thrown at will into or out of gear with the winding gear or with the setting gear by the oscillatory adjustment of said yoke, a winding pinion adapted to be driven by the winding bar, the

bore ofsaid pinion being, at one end, enlarged,

a longitudinal stem, or bearing provided with an enlarged portion intermediate of its length, adapted to serve as a bearing for said enlarged bore, the inner end of said adjustable stem being housed, or having a bearing, in a block. mounted upon the bottom plate, and a lever fulcrumed upon the bottom plate, and having one of its arms in contact with, and adapted to be operated by the inner end of the adj ustable stem, and having its other arm pivotally connected with the springs which are adapted to be adj usted thereby to shift said yoke and throw its gear wheels into or out of contact with the winding gear, or with the sctti ng gear, as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have hereunto signed my namethis 27th day of December, A. D. 1887.

JOHN H. THORNHILL.

In presence of- B. M. Esrr', Tnonms PARKER. 

